A Sketchy Relationship
by Wrefs
Summary: Yuzu finds her heart stolen by the mysterious duellist who she'd encountered twice, his face never leaving her mind and the never ending wish of seeing him again lingering in her heart. On the same road, Yuto (The Dark Duelist) begins to develop feelings for the girl, but forces himself to keep himself discrete in the shadows. What if they meet a third time? Braceletshipping
1. Lost

**It's updated, and it's mistake-free (hopefully). Enjoy "A Sketchy Relationship", and R&amp;R!**

**-Wrefs**

* * *

Chapter 1: Lost:

Yuzu glanced at her ever ticking watch before tearing her gaze to the sidewalk. Yuya was late, something that never happened. Her mouth tipped into a frown at this. They'd planned to walk over to his second duel together in the morning, so they could go over strategies together, but with the clock at thirty-minutes past ten, Yuzu couldn't stay any longer without risking herself arriving late. They had to be there by fifteen to eleven.

Giving a sigh, she got into a steady pace, ignoring the passers-by and trying to go over the route to her destination. She stopped when the roads came to a fork.

_Was it left… or right? Oh no! I've forgotten!_

She cursed herself under her breath before shooting a glance at her watch once more. Forty-five past. This was going horrible. She was late for arriving there on time, and at this rate, she would be late for the duel as well. What horrible luck!

_Stupid Yuya! If he'd just come here like he'd promised at ten, this would have never happened!_

Yuzu sighed, knowing standing there was not going to get her anywhere, except for obnoxious looks from the people. She bit her lip and had a look at the fork roads. Screwing her eyes shut before cursing herself for trusting her fool of a best friend one last time, she played a game of chance and went toward the left road.

She wasn't familiar with this side of town, and had no real idea of what she was doing, but it was worth a shot. She had a fifty-percent chance of being right. And that was a chance she was willing to take if it meant getting there just on the nick of time for the duel.

She continued going down the road, but after a while, any information she had on the route to her destination went blank from her mind. She gave an exasperated sigh as she went down another random road, not having any clue of what she was doing anymore. Yuzu continued going down several roads.

Her anger clouded the fact she was lost and didn't know how to get back. By the time she was puffed out of steam, the sun had dipped quite a bit, and her watch confirmed the change in time by notifying her that it was four o'clock.

The teen's eyes widened.

_I've been walking aimlessly for five hours? How did I not notice? I'm such an idiot, maybe if I had been more patient, Yuya would have arrived and we would have gotten to the location, even if it was a little late… now I have no idea where I am, most definitely have missed the duel, and probably made everyone worried… especially Yuya…._

Her eyes narrowed a little in slight defeat, and she began fumbling around her pockets to see whether or not she even decided to bring her phone, or any kind of gadget that would enable communication. Her heart dropped as she found them all empty. The realization hit her.

"How am I going to get back home now? I can't call Tou-san… or anyone… and I'm lost…" She whispered to herself.

Tears brimmed her eyes and fear writhed in her insides.

_What was she meant to do now…?_

The silence around her was broken by a husky voice.

"Heeey sweetheart…"

Yuzu froze. The only movement that came from her was her hair whipping around in the light wind. Her mouth went dry in fear.

"Heeey boys… there's a cute chick here… she looks so lost… so _vulnerable_… wanna meet her?" The male continued in his husky voice. This time, his voice was a lot closer. Yuzu could smell the stench of alcohol from his breath. Her stomach churned.

As if by magic, three more drunks appeared from the alley ways. She kept backing away till the four of them cornered her against a wall. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. She was trapped. All because of her stupidity and her impatience. Of course there would be drunkards like them hanging around, even if it was four o'clock! What an idiot she'd been, going down streets she didn't know of, places she'd never been. Now she was in the state of danger.

"Dooon't be scared girly… we just want to haaave some fun… isn't that right boyos?" The leader rumbled, before giving a hearty laugh. The "boyos" gave grunts of approval. Before she knew what was happening, they began getting even closer. Yuzu screamed and drew out her last line of defence: her fan. Even knowing the effort would be futile, she still went for it.

"S-stay back! I-I'm w-warning you!" She said, hoping it would sound threatening, whilst pointing her fan around. She knew she was in shambles when she heard them all laugh. The leader came even closer, and swatted the fan away, as if were a fly.

Yuzu watched in terror as her chance went out of the window. Her eyes darted to the fan, which now sat on the concrete floor, and then to the fearsome figure, as he gazed at her with beady eyes. Her stomach churned even more from the stench of alcohol being stronger than ever.

Even though fear pulsed through her entire body, she knew, that if she continued to gape, she would become a victim of rape or something horrible if she didn't do something. Her mind began panicking as the man clutched her arm.

_No...No! NO!_

Without even thinking, she kicked the brute right in the stomach. She heard a groan and a thump, but she didn't stand to watch any further. The other three stood and gaped before yelling a cry of outrage. She took their chance of surprise and decided to make a break for it.

The pinkette sprinted downtown, noticing the place getting more and shadier… sketchier. Dark, tall buildings loomed around her, canopying the area in darkness. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage to stop and her mind was screaming quintillions of things at her, but her body refused to listen to either. All this just made her sprint faster.

She whipped her head around and saw that the three men were chasing her. Her face contorted into an alarmed look, and she screwed her eyes shut, kept on running.

**_Bad mistake…_**

Before she knew what happened, her head hit the ground and all the air was knocked out of her lungs. Yuzu could hear the heavy thunking of boots in the distant, but ignored it as she opened her eyes.

Her vision was swimming, but she could make out she had hit the pavement… pretty hard. There were green things littering the area.

_W-wait… what?_

Yuzu blinked furiously for her vision to clear, and then she knew what she was looking at. Shards of glass. Everywhere. The teen lifted her arms and saw them coated in red.

_Blood…_

Her thoughts vaguely interpreted what had happened. She must have slipped on the broken glass and fallen on them, cutting herself in the process. A wave of dizziness hit her and her vision blurred completely. Any sound she could hear went silent.

_Damn blood-loss…_

Those were her last thoughts before she went out like a light.

* * *

Yuto (The Dark Duelist) somersaulted to the next building before landing lightly at his feet. Before Shun had fled the scene of his first crime, he'd yelled to meet him at "The Jester", a small pub in the shady parts of town.

Yuto had obviously agreed, seen that this was the first time he'd seen Shun in a while, and also wanted to know why he was trapping LDS duellists in cards. It all seemed quite queer, not to mention strange. They all did have their intentions with LDS, but he didn't like the way Shun had dealt with it all. It seemed too out-of-character for him, not to mention cruel. But then again, Shun did get rough when things needed to be done.

He threw the thoughts of Shun out of his head before sprinting to make another jump to the next building. He reached the edge, and then jumped. He was going to land perfectly on his feet, as usual.

_AAAAAAAAAAAAH!_

His jump failed and he was falling. He frantically looked around and saw a window edge, before grasping onto it. He left himself hanging for a moment.

"What is she doing here?" He muttered, before letting himself fall to the ground. And this time he did land on his feet.

He knew that scream. No doubt, that was Yuzu's, but what would she be doing at this part of the city? Only the crooks and mafia hung around here, nowhere for a teenage girl to be hanging around. His eyes narrowed at what must have happened. She must have somehow gotten lost, and ended up here… and probably gotten herself in danger.

Yuto sprinted down the street, following the sound of footsteps and ragged breathing- any possible signs of Yuzu.

_Don't worry… I won't let you get hurt._

Yuto shut his eyes for a moment.

_Not like before. No… I will never let that happen again…_

* * *

Yuzu's eyes opened a crack as she came to.

_W…What… what happened? It feels… like a truck hit me… Hard…_

She opened her eyes a little wider and tried to make out her surroundings. Tall buildings loomed around her, canopying the area in shadows. Three men came around her and began jeering. The moment the stench of alcohol hit her nose, her breath hitched.

These men… oh Lord….

She tried to get up, but her arms began to scream in protest.

_Oh right… the glass cut them really badly…_

She stopped any attempt of getting up. There were probably bits glass stuck in her arms… and if she moved her arms anymore, they could go in even deeper. She was stuck, again.

One of the men bent down and lifted her head from the hair. She suppressed a whimper, not wanting to shed anymore dignity she had.

"Whaa happen… huh? Fell down… gal…? Too bad…" He muttered in a slurred voice.

He dropped her head, letting her let out a sigh of relief, before grabbing an arm, pulling her to eye level. Any of the cuts that had stopped bleeding reopened, and by the time she was up, tears she had forced not to fall fell anyways, her arms shaking in pain. Blood dripped down her arms. One cut in particular by her wrist had the crimson gushing out like a tap, suggesting an artery had been hit.

Yuzu shut her eyes, and turned away, refusing to look at him, trying to focus on not sobbing. This had to be the worst day of her life! Even worse than the day she duelled Masumi… and who was saying that this would be her last?

Her breathing hitched as she felt _him _smelling her hair, inhaling deeply, and then a hand _touching _her. Yuzu tensed completely, not being able to stand being violated like this. She'd heard stories of poor girls being victims of drunkards like these, but never had she _dreamed_, even in her _worst_ nightmares, that it would ever happen to _her_.

She was just a lost, exhausted and hungry little girl! Why did she have to be violated by scary people like them! Why did she even have to be violated at all?! Yuzu whimpered as she knew no one was going to be there to help her, and she would probably be found days later, wasted and used up.

"Dis one smells goooooood, and looks perdy! Lessss take her to tha innnn and haaf uss fuuun!" The one holding her exclaimed in his slurred voice.

The others whooped in response.

But Yuzu never heard any of this. Her eyes began to go glazed, and her body went limp, stopping any efforts she had tried to do anything. The shock settled in of the weight of the matter, and her mind couldn't accept it. She didn't know when she was hoisted up someone's back, nor did she realize her cut, more like wound, was draining the precious blood of her body, making her skin go paler and paler.

Her mind went numb, and she lost all feeling with anything. Her hope had been crushed completely and she felt lost. Despite everything, one thought flickered in her shut-down mind.

And it was about _him_.

* * *

The moment he set eyes on the drunks, he knew it was them, no objection. Drunks don't go out for a run, unless they're after something. And that something in this case was Yuzu. What they didn't know was, that all their efforts would be futile, because he would be putting a stop to everything they even dreamed of doing.

He removed his goggles, which he had repaired a while back since the incident with Shingo Sawatari, before adjusting his mask. Too many people had seen his face already, and he didn't want to risk anymore. He needed to get more discrete and unseen if he wanted his mission with LDS to go through. Yuzu knowing was bad enough.

When he had been spying on her, he'd seen her spacing out a lot, and not duelling properly, ever since she'd met him. Met may not be the best word to use there. Ever since she had an encounter with him. Better. And then there was her doubting Yuya… something he didn't want happening.

He gave a sigh before getting his mind on the situation at hand. The little time he had wasted thinking had already caused a dramatic effect on the scene. He saw Yuzu getting hoisted up on the drunk's back, but that wasn't hat really caught his eye. What caught his eye was the crimson liquid flowing freely down her arms. He hadn't known she'd gotten hurt, especially that bad, and judging from the rapid, shallow breathing and her clammy skin, he had suspicions of the beginnings of shock.

If Yuzu continued losing blood, she would go into shock. And then he'd really have to risk showing himself, because he'd have to call an ambulance. If she went into shock, there was little he could do. And he didn't want Yuzu to go to the hospital, as this would stress her further. And then one thought exploded into his mind.

Yuzu had gotten hurt.

The moment his brain understood the concept, he bolted toward the drunks. Instantly, he got into action. The first one, he just twisted his neck at an odd angle. When the evident sound of crack reverberated, he knew the first was down. He had been easy, as he'd caught him by surprise, and he was drunk. May he add, _very_ drunk.

By this time, the other two spotted him. The one with Yuzu made a run for it, whilst his to be second victim snarled and advanced to him. He leapt a few steps back, then sprinted around him, trying to get him at a blind spot, splashing in the pools of blood from his first victim.

The man had trouble keeping up, and before he realized what had happened, Yuto pounced on his back, making him fall. Having been pinned to ground, all Yuto had to do was smash his head and he was knocked out. For a good measure, he kicked him, and when there was no response, he proceeded to the last one.

The one he caught violating Yuzu.

He had to be careful this time, since he could accidently hurt Yuzu in the process, so he planned on getting her off him and taking her somewhere safe, before dealing with him.

He decided to go discretely, as the drunk didn't seem to know that he had finished fighting his two comrades. Yuto moved swiftly, yet silently until he was right behind him.

"I thought you would actually help your men, but you just left them behind. That was your first mistake." With that being said, he pulled Yuzu (carefully) off him and lay her on the ground, noting her pale skin before getting back to the drunk.

"Then there's the fact you were violating this girl. That is your second mistake." He said, almost growling at the word "violate". He swung a kick and struck him hard on the back. He heard a groan of approval before continuing.

"You thinking you would get away with this all is your worst mistake of all. To think that you would go unpunished and actually continue with these games of yours is absurd, not to mention disgusting!" Yuto roared. He twisted both of his arms, releasing them at the sound of a crack. He continued kicking him non-stop till necessary.

At this point, the drunk was a whimpering mess on the floor, his broken arms dragged toward him to try and protect his body from further abuse and his eyes flooding tears. But Yuto knew that none of this displayed the fear and pain Yuzu must have went through.

"If I ever catch you or your men even trying to lay a finger on her again, I will assure you, I will kill you." The teen threatened, leaving the man in his state, with not one bit of pity.

He went and sat by Yuzu, and began to assess her for injuries. Quite evidently, there were her arms, cut and bleeding, but he saw some fragments of glass still lodged into them. He checked her pulse, and felt relieved when it was going at a normal rate. What worried him the most was a deep cut at her wrist, which he immediately began to patch-up. He ripped of a large portion of his left-sleeve and wrapped it around the wound to staunch the bleeding. When he sorted this, he began doing the same, however this time ripping fragments of his cloak and gently taking out the glass from her cuts, then wrapping the ripped fragments securely around them.

He wanted to use clean bandages, but right now, her life was on the line. He needed to get her stable before even thinking of moving her at all.

Once all the cuts and wounds were sorted, he took of anything that remained of his cloak (which was quite a lot, still) and put it around her. Now that there was less blood going through her body, she would probably get a lot colder than usual, and if he was careless, there was the (minor) possibility of slight hypothermia. He didn't want her getting any worse than she already was.

With her injuries dealt to and insulation given, he lifted her up slowly, taking care not to worsen her state any further. It was the first time Yuzu had been this close to him since their "encounter" with Sawatari. She looked peaceful, even if she almost seemed like a corpse. It would have been quite humorous, if it hadn't been the fact she had been hurt resulting this.

Yuto went into thought as the question of what to do next surfaced. He knew he couldn't just leave her in her room, as it would arouse suspicion, and he wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her when she wasn't well. The idea of finding Yuya was also out of question, as it wouldn't just risk his identity being revealed, but would also make him seem suspicious, even if he did save her. That only left one thought that had been lingering at the back of his mind till the now. He could go to the abandoned warehouses and wait till she became conscious again, and walk her home, discretely of course.

It would be far from anyone, and they would probably encounter no one there as well. He knew quite well that Sawatari was too scared of even coming near the area since their duel, so it was most definitely safe.

Yuto brought Yuzu more closely to him, and then began to break into a fast run (he didn't want to sprint and risk letting Yuzu fall) and began hopping up the pipes and window ledges with skill till he came to the top of the building.

From there on, he went with the routine of sprinting and hopping from building to building, till he reached the old warehouses.

* * *

Yuzu began stirring from her deep slumber, feeling the nasty cold wind nipping at her exposed face. She shivered a little, and turned toward the warmth that was to her right. She stayed like this for a long time, till the gears of her mind began to turn again.

_Why is everything pitch black…? My eyes must be shut… must… open them…_

With a lot of strain, her eyes opened a crack, and she saw a blurred mess of black, with hints of purple.

_W-wait… purple…?_

She blinked several times and forced her eyes open a few millimetres more before her breath hitched.

_It was him…_

Instantly, all her memories of the past few hours resurfaced in her mind, and she felt herself pale.

_Oh lord… those men… he must have saved me from them… I must have passed out toward the end…_

She wanted to say something, 'thanks', maybe 'you baka', but her mouth refused to open. She tried to jerk her arms and legs to notify him she was awake, but she gave up before she could even try. She felt completely drained and soon she began to feel how exhausted she felt.

_Oh no… not again…_

Her eyes began to droop and she went unconscious again.

* * *

The teen came to an abrupt halt as he reached the specific warehouse had been taking refuge to the past few days. It hadn't been the one he had duelled Sawatari, but several buildings down. A few people from the investigation team had come there a day after the incident, and he didn't want to be caught near it.

This building was officially abandoned, and hadn't been used for several years. Stacks upon stacks of large, empty crates littered the area, concealing the area he used for sleeping quite well. The area Yuto had dubbed as "camp" might as well be clarified "camp", as it looked like a "camp", situated at the far corner of the room. It had a rolled-up bedroll, folded blankets, a lantern, and a small box. Within the box, there were few possessions he had, like a pen, a small notebook, a broken watch, a stolen map, batteries, and some money. More or less, Yuto's shelter was a hobo's place.

He unrolled the bedroll, one hand holding Yuzu, whilst the other did the unrolling. He lay her down on the roll, before covering her in his blanket, taking off the shabby cloak. He then turned on the lantern to the first setting, enabling the small area to give a small glow of light to illuminate the area.

With nothing else to do, he leaned against and took off his goggles and mask. It had been a long day, and he hadn't anticipated on having _a_ fight, let alone three. If he wanted to wake up ontime tomorrow and carry on with his work, he may as well go to bed… but he wasn't so sure about getting back to his work.

Yuzu was still quite vulnerable, and he needed her _awake _so he could walk her home. He would have to give working a rest for tomorrow, give up a precious day, but he knew Yuzu's health was his first priority right now.

He made a mental note to get a fresh set of bandages and some antiseptic the next day before letting his eyes fall and sleep come to him.


	2. Life

**Oh God. The Earth must be ending. Because I've updated _something_.**

**Hello, ladies and gents. It's been a good what, one, two years?**

**Well, sorry I guess.**

**Yep, I think I'll save the sappy apologies for another time, but here you go. After days, weeks, months, _years _of waiting, Chapter 2 of "A Sketchy Relationship" has been published.**

**Yay.**

**You may have noticed my name has changed from YamiB1999 to "Writer_Refresh". Go read my profile... should explain it.**

**And on the side note, I've also moved to Wattpad too. You can see me there, and I'll probably be more responsive. Yay. Same name, and there's another story that's recently been posted there. I'm not sure if I'll be using much for writing anymore... I'll update this fic here and Wattpad... no worries (though worry about the time it takes, I've permitted that much). It's just, I find Wattpad more practical in terms of writing, as the app is more, writer friendly, than the Fanfiction. net one. Don't get me wrong, in terms of reading 's app surpasses Wattpad's... it's just I don't have the time like I found today to sit on a laptop to _write_. It's literally, _virtually _impossible for me to even do that.**

**Let's just save that rant for another time, shall we?**

**So without further ado, enjoy your long awaited story.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Life**

_Chink! Clank! Clang!_

Yuzu groaned at the noise disturbing her sleep. Why was her Tou-san so loud and obnoxious… waking people up at like five in the morning! Not everyone was hot-blooded like he was to make them work really hard. She turned to her side, away from the noise, hoping it would do some effect to the volume.

_Chink! Clank! Clang!_

All her efforts were in vain, it sounded just as loud as it did when she was on her back.

"…Tou-san… quieten down… not everyone wants to wake at five in the morning…" She mumbled, blinking a few times so she could look at her surroundings.

Instantly, the noise stopped and there was some shuffling, as if someone was coming toward her. What was wrong with her Tou-san today? He knew she didn't like him in her room, especially at five in the morning.

"…Tou-san… you know I don't like you being in my room… especially this early… honestly… I thought we discussed this only last week…" She muttered in slight aggravation.

Yuzu opened her eyes blearily and saw that who was by her side wasn't her Tou-san, but someone else. Someone who had charcoal and purple hair…

_He _was right by her side, kneeling by her, _looking_ at her. He was far too close to her… much to close for her liking. Her eyes went wider than saucers and she let out a shriek, before frantically searching her pockets for her fan.

"W-What are you doing here!" She shouted, with her frustration at its peak when she didn't find her fan.

She looked around and noticed large crates and light coming from windows on the ceiling. Then she remembered, everything that had happened. He had saved her, and now she was yelling all these rude things at him. Before she could start apologising, _he _began talking.

"I am sorry for awaking you, Yuzu, I should have been more careful when I was searching through my box. Please accept my apology."

She felt her face heating up. _He _was apologising to _her_. Her of _all_ people! This couldn't be happening… he wouldn't even talk to her properly in their previous times they had met… what difference did it make now? And then there was the fact she had been so rude to him…

"Gomen-nasai… I shouldn't have blurted out all those rude things to you… I should be the one who should be apologizing…" She apologized, her head down, hoping to hide her blush and trying to not look in his eyes.

There was a silence between the two. Yuzu felt terrible, he had helped her so much, and she had just ignored all of that and had just been downright rude. She wouldn't be surprised if he was angry at her… or if he didn't forgive her. When the silence became unbearable, she felt someone hold her hand and she looked up in surprise.

His hands felt cold and rough against her soft warm ones.

"You don't need to apologize to me, Yuzu, but I will forgive you nonetheless. You were just confused and frightened, it wasn't your fault. Just promise me, next time don't run into danger. I don't want you to get hurt anymore." _He _said, squeezing her hand a little before letting it go, his eyes narrowing slightly toward the end. The world pulsed around her at the last part.

_I don't want you to get hurt anymore._

Before he could notice her face heat up even more, he turned away and began searching through his box again. Yuzu thanked God for this silently under her breath. Those had been the same words he had said to her when they had first met, when he butted in when she was about to duel Sawatari. Now he was saying it again when she go-

_Weren't my arms bleeding… when I got attacked…?_

She looked down at them and noticed black fabric wrapped around them, acting like a strong bandage, before finding her gaze trail to _him_. She noticed his left sleeve had been torn off, as well as several chunks of his cloak. Her lips began tipping into a frown. Not only had she been a burden to him and been rude, but also had ruined his clothes. She doubted he even owned any other than the ones he was wearing.

Why did she have to be such a klutz, causing trouble all the time? She was always a burden, never doing any good for anyone! She nearly got the duel school to be taken from Tou-san and everyone, if it hadn't been for Yuya's hard work, and now she had gone and done it again, this time with _him_. And she hated herself for that.

After a few minutes… _he _finished fiddling around with his box, and then turned to her again.

"Yuzu, I'm going out to get a few things, but it won't take too much time. Just stay where you are and I'll be back." He explained to her, before pocketing a handful of coins.

"W-wait! You must tell me your name!" She called out, the stupidity of the question sinking in only seconds later.

He paused for a moment, in thought, before he replied

'Yuto.' He replied and continued walking through the maze of crates. Yuzu caught one last look at his cloak before he vanished completely from her line of sight.

"I wonder how long he'll be gone…" She asked aloud whilst fiddling with her bracelet, which hadn't glowed once for the entire time.

* * *

Yuto knew Yuzu arms needed proper treatment, as ripped bits of clothing weren't the best for repelling infection. Especially old and dirty ripped bits of clothing. He needed to get a fresh set of bandages, and some antiseptic, to treat the wounds.

Yuzu was probably not going to be well enough to stand on her feet either, because all the blood she'd lost must have sapped a lot of the energy she had. Some food wouldn't hurt, even if he didn't have much money on him. Hey may be poor, but he wasn't going to have that make him not treat Yuzu properly. He wasn't that interested in money anyways, since he hardly used it. Food hadn't been much of an issue to him because he went many days before having some. He was quite sure Yuzu on the other hand wouldn't be able to cope with that, given that she had lost so much blood.

The dark duellist found himself wandering discretely down several roads and alleys before he found himself in the shopping district. It was still quite early, so he doubted many people would be around, giving him the perfect opportunity to go and buy the things he needed without the trouble of being caught by people who had seen him, like the turquoise-haired boy named Sora, or the girl from LDS.

He scoffed at the thought of the boy. _Sora _he called himself. That twisted boy, acting so innocent and carefree, acting like he was their _friend, _trying get them to learn the ways of fusion. It disgusted him. Only if they knew who he really was- a boy from the wretched fusion dimension. Someone who wanted nothing but destruction and sadness, someone who was most certainly not _innocent _of all things.

Yuto shook his head in annoyance, as he steeled his mind away from his angry thoughts. Sora wasn't that important at the moment; what was important now was making sure Yuzu would be okay and well… and make sure what happened to Ruri would never happen to her.

* * *

"_Yuto! Shun! Be careful, and don't do anything silly!" _

_Her plum-purple eyes were looking at him softly, mouth forming a smile as she scolded him, making her sallow thin face glow a little with life, like it used to be. She was too young, too young. She had been forced to grow up too quickly and see the horrors of war. _

"_Don't worry, Ruri, we will come back soon. Don't answer the door to anyone, and be safe." He replied, before leaving with his comrade of war; Shun._

* * *

That had been his last memory of her. Later on, when he arrived back to what they called "home", the place had been a wreck, clear signs of struggle, even traces of blood. No signs of Ruri, or anyone else. The only thing left was a card. Not just any card.

_Polymerization_

Fusion had broken in and taken her.

He had never seen her again.

Yuto bit his lip as he forced the memory away. He had been very fond of his friend's sister. Having her ripped away from him left him feeling hollow and numb, but the situation made him realize that he had to become stronger, and make sure it never happened again. He had to keep loved ones safe and well, out of harms reach.

Otherwise, he would lose them forever.

* * *

Yuzu absently fiddled with her bracelet, mind consumed by too many thoughts and strange emotions she couldn't understand.

"Why does he care about me so much? I don't understand…" she sighed, halting her fiddling, before gazing up at the ceiling, "His eyes… they look hurt and lonely every time he looks at me… like he's seeing someone else…"

Something had clearly happened to him that haunted him endlessly. His eyes, they seemed like they had seen so much, like he had been hurt so badly. Yet he was so young. Someone at his age should never have to experience that much pain, bear such burdens. He was a child, much like her. A child didn't have to bear such things.

There was also his duelling to consider. When he duelled, he changed, and became even more serious than he already was. Yuto would transform into a soldier, ready for combat… yet he was not cold hearted. In those stormy grey eyes, hints of hope sometimes appeared, as if they were thinking things would go differently, work out for everyone. She wouldn't believe he was a merciless killer.

Yuto was different. Yuzu could tell he was a person seeking peace at heart, and he didn't want to hurt people. She saw that in the duel with Shingo. Yuto left the duel, unwilling to cause any damage, but that idiot Shingo just had to be his big-headed self, not even considering where he was and what was happening.

Yuto played his game, and even then refused to cause him harm. When he finished him, leaving his life points at zero, there was regret in those eyes, guilt. He hadn't wanted things to end the way they had, but the circumstance wasn't so flexible. He had initiated the duel to protect her. Yuto never wanted to hurt anyone, or anyone to get hurt.

Just before he disappeared, the XYZ user seemed confused and conflicted, as if judging himself upon his actions, wondering whether or not what he had done was right. He looked tired, and sad, in contrast to her bubbly, happy-go-lucky, tomato-haired friend. What had happened in his life to have moulded him into this shattered war-her-

The pinkette jumped from the sudden loud shouting outside, interrupting her thoughts on Yuto.

"You will be sorry we ever crossed paths!"  
"Stop this! This area is not open for civilians! Are you not aware that this is the site of a _crime _scene?"

"You are wasting my time! I have no business with weak fusion _scum_ like you!"

"How dare you insult my summoning methods!"

"I dare because that's what fusion is; a piece of scum. A dirty, twisted method of duelling! Now move!"

Yuzu slipped out of the blankets and shakily manoeuvred through the stacks of crates and toward the front wall, where the two people were probably arguing. She felt a spell of dizziness getting up after so long, but ignored it, her curiosity peaked at the commotion outside.

"An LDS student was attacked here! I cannot let you to pass any further!"

There was a pause, before the other one began chuckling.

"W-wait… so it was YOU! You were the one who attacked him? But he claimed his attacker looked like the boy named Yuya Sakaki! Then a comrade? I shall duel you for harming a student from the prestigious duel school of LDS!"

"Fine, have it your way then, but know you are going to **lose**."

Yuzu felt a shiver run down her spine as the atmosphere became tense and chilled. There was a sense of bloodlust in the air, making her feel nauseous, and the chinking of a duel-disk getting ready didn't make her feel much better.

"_**Battle Royal Mode Activated."**_

The robotic voice coming from both the duellists' systems made her gasp, hand coming to her mouth as she trembled in fear. She had never heard of a Battle Royal _duel _but she did know what it meant- they were going to fight to the death.

Her pale arms hugged knees as she leant against the metal wall, listening to the noises coming from the duel, feeling the shockwaves vertebrate through the building and rattle her, too terrified to move or do anything, trapped in fear.

"This duel has been interesting whilst it lasted, but I believe it is time to end it here. Prepare to meet your end, Marco"

'Marco' let out an undignified whimper, which only caused the unknown duellist to laugh darkly.

A feeling of cold dread hit the pit of her stomach as a bead of sweat ran down her face, trying to keep her breathing calm and quiet but failing miserably. This poor man was going to die, and she couldn't do anything about it.

"**RANK 5, RAIDRAPTOR REVOLUTION FALCON, ATTACK MARCO DIRECTLY!**"

She gasped as the attack caused the world to pulsate, before creating a series of powerful shockwaves that threw her back, making her scream, only to be drowned by the screech of the falcon as her head hit the crates with a tremendous force, making everything go white, casting her to oblivion.

* * *

Yuto silently strode down the pavement, the streetlights providing some light for him. Getting the required supplies had been a lot tougher than he had originally thought, as with his little money, he had only been able to afford a meagre amount of food, forcing him to steal the rest discretely from stores.

He had not been happy for his actions, as the many storekeepers he had pillaged from had mainly been of elderly women who seemed like kind and good people. However, he knew that what he had done was not done out of selfishness, and he intended on paying back the robbed shopkeepers later in the future when he'd be able to afford it.

The XYZ duellist stopped suddenly by one of the abandoned warehouses, looking at the scene in front of him. Large cracks decorated the floor, some of the other warehouses were even _broken_, and a clutter of cards and a duel-disk remained on the floor. Otherwise, the place was relatively empty.

"Shun…" He growled under his breath, as he quietly tread across the stone, careful to avoid stepping on the cards cluttered everywhere. Last thing he wanted was leaving evidence that he had been there; the situation with the LDS student had been bad enough as it was, he didn't want anything else to his name.

He cursed the XYZ user, his best friend, and his comrade in war. Ever since Ruri had been taken away, Shun lost any mercy and good he originally had in him. His heart had gone dark and cold, and he had no restraints when duelling, ruthlessly crushing his opponents and destroying them. He would do anything to someone who got in his way, a trait that Yuto had much disliked.

Now he had gone ahead and done it again.

Face palming himself, he took a deep breath, before making his way to the last warehouse, where he knew Yuzu was. The duellist knew that LDS would be arriving soon to investigate, meaning his temporary shelter he had grown to like was no longer safe. He would have to abandon the place in order to remain hidden and away from the mess.

Yuto sighed, before sliding the steel door slightly open, slipping into the dimly lit building.

"Yuzu, I'm back." He called out.

When hearing no response, he frowned, wondering if she had fallen asleep, probably bored of waiting for him to come back.

"Yu-" He said again, only to stop mid-sentence.

His eyes widened in shock at the sight before him.

Yuzu was sprawled on the floor, scarily still, hair a mess and eyes shut, a bruise steadily forming on her forehead; clearly unconscious.

"Shit!" He cussed, anger from before washing away and fear settling in his heart.

It had happened again. Someone had gotten hurt again, and it was all his fault. If he had only come back quicker, taken less time on his trip… maybe she would have been okay, safe, sleeping on his mat, wrapped up in blankets, unharmed. But she wasn't okay, she wasn't safe. She was hurt, and it was his fault.

He kneeled by her, picking her up in his scarred arms, shaking her desperately in an attempt to wake her up, to see those beautiful cerulean eyes once more.

"Yuzu! Yuzu! Yuzu! Please wake up!" He cried, but she remained unresponsive.

He had completely gone out of character, losing his calm, collected self, the mask he had put on to stay strong in the face of war, and instead becoming the scared, broken teenager he really was. Yuto was falling apart, he knew this, but he didn't care. His heart was racing at a million miles an hour as tears glistened in his eyes.

"Yuzu... please don't leave me… I-I c-can't handle losing someone again!" With that being said, tears began streaming down his face, terror evident in his eyes.

His chest began to hurt… no his heart. It pounded painfully against his ribcage, ready to burst, his emotions running wildly. Yuto couldn't understand what was happening to him, but it was hurting him even more.

Without thinking, he brought her close to his chest, hugging her, and began to break down.

* * *

Yuzu felt the gears in her mind slowly begin to move as she drifted into consciousness. She felt confused and disorientated, and her body felt exhausted, every drop of her energy being spent. The right-side of her forehead throbbed dully, not feeling too terrible, but it still caused her some agony. The whole ordeal felt familiar… _deja-vu_?

She brushed the thought away, wanting to sleep more, feeling rather comfortable in the strange warmth that embraced her, and nearly did, but then she felt something wet on her shoulder, disturbing her peace.

_Drop…drop…drop…_

Something wet was hitting her shoulder. She opened her eyes tiredly to investigate, and let out a silent breath.

She was in the duellist's arms, as he wept on her shoulder, cradling her protectively and closely to himself, looking utterly miserable.

Yuto… Yuto was… _crying_.

Yuzu felt a blush sneak on her face out of embarrassment, as she was once again being held in the toned, strong arms of the dark duellist. Once again, being the damsel in distress. What made her embarrassment worse was the fact she actually enjoyed being held in his embrace, breathing in his smoky scent.

Yet she also felt safe, out of harm's way. She wasn't scared, nor terrified like earlier, and knew she was secure, and didn't have the need to keep her guard up. The fear from before had vanished, leaving her in a peaceful state of security.

But Yuto wasn't any of those things. Yuto was _scared_, Yuto was _sad_, and Yuto was _broken_. He didn't have anyone to protect him, he was _lonely_. There was fear coursing through his veins… but why? Why was he so scared, why was he so sad? Why was he so _broken_?

Then the answer came.

It was her.

She had gone unconscious after the shockwaves made her hit a crate. He must've come back and had gotten terrified at the scene before him. Who wouldn't? He _cared_ about her, for reasons she did not clearly understand… and for that second, he must have thought he was going to be alone, _again_. Always hidden in the shadows, no one to lean on.

As the tears continued to fall, her heart clenched painfully. She, Yuzu Hiragi, was not going to lay down, being the damsel in distress as this poor, _poor _boy wept over her, utterly distraught and clearly upset. It wouldn't be right, leaving him in pain, leaving him _alone_.

The pinkette still felt tired and sore, but she drove herself to her goal. Carefully, she detached herself from his embrace, ignoring the shocked expression on his face, eyes staring at her in disbelief, but relief as well. Shakily, her hand reached his tear-streaked face, and she slowly began to wipe the trails away.

"Y-Yuto, don't cry. S-see? I'm fine…" Yuzu said, breathing out an unsteady breath before continuing, "You don't have to bear this pain alone… I can tell you've been hurt before. You've lost someone close to you before… haven't you?" Her theory was proven correct as the boy's eyes only grew wider, stunned at the fact she knew. The tears were gone, leaving his face dry.

"You're afraid. You're afraid you're going to lose someone again… You're afraid you're going to be _alone_."

* * *

Yuto felt his world shattering around him. H-how… how… just _how _did she understand? _How_? Revelation after revelation… she knew _everything_ about him. She understood him. Had he honestly been such an _open_ _book_ to read? So _easy_ to understand?

The brave face, the walls, the mask… _everything_ he had done to try and stay strong… it all fell down, cracking and breaking upon impact to the ground.

He stared at the pinkette, her eyes, those _beautiful _cerulean eyes, those he had begged to see, staring at him, searching his very soul.

"_Eyes are gateways to the soul; look into them, and you can see a person's core and understand them completely"_

Those had been the words of his dear father, Tsukomo, had uttered to him on his deathbed. His silvering charcoal hair, once slicked back in a fancy fashion, shiny and brilliant, dull and limp. Father's eyes, a wondrous indigo, lifeless and waning. The man he and Shun looked up to as children. Another victim to the treacherous _Fusion_.

He had felt hurt, tearful, and shattered back then, pleading for him to come back. Yuto hadn't even taken his words to heart, too devastated and lost to even take heed to what he had said. Yet, now that the words echoed in the caverns of his mind.

Listening to the echoes, he gazed into the girl's eyes, and _finally_ understood what his father had meant.

* * *

_Perfect blue skies, empty of clouds, stretching beyond the eye could see. The day was just right, faultless in every way. The sun's beams bounced off the violin that rested below her chin. Next to her, a tomato-haired boy poised his fingers upon a keyboard, and began a quiet, but cheerful tune. Holding the bow steady, she began to play. A joyous, upbeat harmony ensued, reverberating across the streets of New Miami._

_With the gentle thrummed cords of a guitar being played, she recognised the style straight away; Tou-san. Not even needing to look away from her instrument, she knew her father had come and joined them, adding to the tuneful song. Slowly, she felt herself meld into the violin, no longer considering the instrument as a separate component, but a part of herself. _

_Before long, a group of people encircled the duo, cheering with the merriness. One of the onlookers stared at her shyly before plucking the courage to ask, "What's the song, Miss?" _

_Without pausing, she smiled gracefully at the young boy before replying, "It's called 'Orange'."_

_The music swirled around the neighbourhood, making bliss at its peak. Not one day had been as jovial as today, yet despite all the festivities, it still wasn't __**perfect**_**. **_There was something missing, that wasn't there, but __**needed **__to be there. No, not something, __**someone**__. _

_Suddenly, the melodious music stopped. The tomato-haired boy stopped midway, giving her a confused look, "Yuzu, why did you stop playing?" _

_Her father seemed equally bewildered, along with the crowd._

_She stood still, as frozen as a statue, her bow stationary on the strings. And then, she smiled. A smile that resembled bright spring days, where the sun shone on the blossoming flowers, highlighting the vitality and life blooming before their very eyes._

"_Yuto, come out of the shadows."_

_A dark alley that hadn't even sparked anyone's attention suddenly became encased in light. A scruffy, young boy with charcoal and purple hair came into view, and looked at her in startled surprise, "How did you know I was here?"_

_Chuckling, she put down the violin, and walked at a gentle pace, every step like that of a ballerinas. Once she was merely a foot away, her glorious blue eyes regarded him, before she took his hand, _

"_You don't need to hide anymore, Yuto. You're safe, and you aren't alone. So come out of the shadows, and join us!"_

_Her high-spirited laugh resonated through the air, as she pulled him from the darkness, and into the light. The sun's rays sparkled, before enclosed him in its brilliance. As everything was blinded away by the light, he could still see her cerulean eyes, in all their beauty._

* * *

The scene disappearing from his eyes, leaving awestruck of what he had witnessed. The medley of the instruments quietened down, till they vanished. Everything had felt so real, so _alive_, it was hard to even beli-

_Her soul._

No wonder it had been so wondrous, flourishing and beautiful. That vision had been about her, Yuzu. Her being was the very meaning of vitality and life, having grown up sheltered from the troubles of war. Having not seen someone so joyous in ages, Yuto felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach, but he realized he didn't want her to ever get hurt. Despite her understanding his problems, the last thing he wanted was for her to be tainted by the shadows of the world.

She was like a flower in bloom, basking in the spring sun, staring into the endless blue sky. A touch of frosty winter would wither her, sucking her liveliness right out. Her form would be left colourless, her pink petals shed, her head gazing down at the dull ground, hope bleak and lost. The remaining backbone of her steam would crumple till it keeled, leaving her shrivelled up and lifeless.

"You've been quiet for quite a while… are you alright, Yuto?"

Her voice was sweet and kind, soothing to his ears. It was something he hadn't experienced in a long time, having being used to the sounds of explosions and chao-

Breaking himself from his reverie, he blushed slightly as he realized he'd been staring. He looked away from her questioning eyes, "I'm fine Yuzu. Sorry, I'd just been lost in thought for a very long while."

Funnily enough, the edges of mouth perked up into a smile. The muscles felt unused, and smiling felt strange for him, but he couldn't help himself.

"Well, I'm glad your fine. I'm sorry I scared you… there'd just been a… duel outside. The shockwaves were a bit strong, so I was knocked back. Don't worry, I'm fine, it just took me by surprise, that's all." She said, smiling reassuringly at him.

"I should be the one apologizing… I completely lost composure. I'm so sorry for… doing th-"

"-Yuto, stop apologizing all the time! You haven't done anything wrong." She berated him childishly, tapping his cheek. Realizing what she'd done, she flushed, and turned away, saying in a high-pitched voice that she "needed to rest".

Chuckling, Yuto's eyes flicked to the plastic bag with goods. They could wait for tomorrow morning, he thought. Even though she may have been using the need of rest as an excuse, she was probably tired anyways.

Walking over to his little campsite, he stowed the items away in his box, shutting the lid quietly. The sound of quiet breaths reached his ears, making his assumption correct.

Removing his cloak and folding it neatly onto the side, he grabbed the spare blanket his friend normally used on his infrequent visits to the camp, covering himself up as he lay on the ground. For once in his life, he felt slightly more at ease, more at peace.

After helping Yuzu with her condition, he knew what he was going to do next.

A meeting with his best friend, comrade of war, and practically, older-brother; Shun Kurosaki.


End file.
